


constellation - stars

by angelheartbeat



Series: fuck it ill do it myself [20]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alien Planet, Birthday, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Outer Space, Stars, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-21 22:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelheartbeat/pseuds/angelheartbeat
Summary: Thor takes Bruce to see a quite literally otherworldly view.





	constellation - stars

**Author's Note:**

> this one is my fav of the entire week i lov it

"I hope you're not taking me out here to kill me," Bruce joked, tripping over yet another tree root (or at least what he assumed to be a tree root). Thor had brought him along in the Bifrost and, being blindfolded, he was utterly reliant on the feel of Thor's hand on his arm. It was terrifying being in an entirely unfamiliar environment and not being able to see at all, but he trusted Thor.

Thor squeezed his arm. "Do not fear, love. We're almost there."

"And where exactly is there?" Bruce asked, trying his luck. Thor hadn't answered where they were going any of the times Bruce had asked on the way here, merely laughed and told Bruce he'd find out when they arrived - which is exactly what he did this time.

After a few more minutes of Bruce blindly following Thor, stumbling on god-knows-what, Thor stopped. "Wait here," he told Bruce, and then suddenly the familiar warmth of Thor's hand disappeared. Anxiety began to pool in Bruce's stomach. He'd been okay, albeit slightly nervous, all the while Thor had led him, but now he was blind and alone on a whole different planet.

"You're still there, right?" he called out, just a little freaked out. Thor made a grunt of assent, and Bruce took that to mean he was busy with something or other. Whatever they were out here for. Wherever here was, exactly.

"Okay," Thor said suddenly, way too close to Bruce's ear, and the latter jumped violently at the unexpected voice. "Sorry! I should've warned you."

"S'alright," Bruce replied a little awkwardly. He felt Thor's fingers fumble with the knot at the back of his head, and then the blindfold fell away.

Set out before them, on soil that was a brilliant purple, was a blanket with a picnic, lit gently by candles. It glowed invitingly, and Bruce felt his anxiety slip away just looking at it.

"Thor, this is so sweet," he murmured, turning around and stretching onto tiptoes to kiss his lover. "But why come to another planet just for a picnic?"

"Because, Bruce," Thor began, leading Bruce to the blanket and sitting down with him. He poured them both glasses of champagne and passed Bruce one, clinking them together before continuing. "Look up."

Bruce did just that, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

Above them was a sky full of swirling galaxies, colours splashed across the inky backdrop with ease, blending and twisting and interlinking across the canvas, and scattered with millions - no, billions of stars, each glowing gently and mapping out a gorgeous view of constellations and light. It was unlike anything Bruce had ever seen, the stars glittering and twinkling softly, as though they knew he was watching them in awe.

"Thor, this is..." Bruce was lost for words, lost in the colours. Thor smiled softly.

"This planet has the greatest view of the galaxies I know of," he explained, sipping his champagne. "You mentioned that you enjoyed space and astronomy. I thought I'd give you a view."

Bruce tore his eyes away from the sky just long enough to look incredulously at Thor. "I mentioned that offhandedly... I don't know how long ago. And you remembered?"

Thor only smiled wider, softer. "Happy birthday, darling."

Unable to contain his emotions, Bruce leapt on Thor and ended up rolling them both a couple of feet, too busy kissing him frantically to notice or care.

* * *

Later, once they'd eaten Thor's carefully prepared picnic and mopped up what they could of Bruce's spilled champagne (dropped when he leapt on Thor in their impromptu makeout session), they lay next to one another, hands entwined, and gazed up at the stars.

"You see there?" Thor said, tracing the outline of some stars with his finger. Bruce nodded. "They call that constellation the Hulk."

"No they don't," Bruce said back, rolling his eyes, and Thor laughed.

"No, they don't. But they should. He is worthy. As are you."

Bruce waved away the compliment. "I don't think I'd want a constellation named after me, anyhow. They seem too vast and otherworldly. I don't want to be remembered as some great star-shape in the sky. I want to be remembered as I am, if at all. Honestly, I wouldn't mind not being remembered."

Thor rolled onto his side, eyes full of something Bruce couldn't quite name. "Have I ever told you how much I admire you?" he asked, and Bruce chuckled, rolling to face him.

"Yeah."

"Hmm. Well, let me say it again. I admire you greatly, Bruce Banner. Few could be as selfless and as kind as to desire no recognition for their actions."

"I just want to help people. There's no use in pitying myself all the time. Yeah, I've got my problems, but others have problems too, and why waste energy dwelling on my own when I could put it to good use and help cure others?"

"And _that_ is why you deserve the stars."

Thor leaned forward and kissed Bruce's nose, earning a laugh.

"Well, what about you? Where's your constellation?" Bruce asked, and Thor rolled back to look at the sky again.

"I don't need one," he said simply, still smiling.

"How come? I would have thought that you'd love the chance to be remembered in glory."

Thor snorted. "I do give off that air, don't I? No, I just... Why would I need to race across the stars when I can be right here with you?"

Bruce paused. "Honey, you do know that you don't actually _become_ the constellation, right?"

"Not for Asgardians. When we die and ascend to Valhalla, if we've been great enough in life, a part of our spirit is breathed into the stars and forms a constellation, telling the tale of our bravery. I like to think Mother is there somewhere, watching over me. Father likely is. So, my darling, why would I wish to be a constellation when I would have to die to do so, and I could be spending my life holding your hand?"

Bruce exhaled softly, squeezing the hand Thor had mentioned. "That's... beautiful. So all the Asgardians are up there somewhere?"

"Not all. Only the mightiest warriors or simply the most worthy earn a place."

"So you'll be up there someday."

"Not necessarily."

"Don't kid yourself, Thor. You know full well you deserve a place up there."

"I'd like to think so. But sometimes I'm just not sure. I'd be content with simply reaching Valhalla and seeing my friends and brethren again."

Bruce let Thor have a moment to grieve, lay in silence and darted his eyes across the sky, hunting for constellations he knew and finding none. "Hey, are we even in the same solar system as Earth?"

"Hm? Oh. No. Is that an issue?"

A flicker of anxiety made itself known, before being thoroughly squashed by Bruce's trust for his lover. "No. I just couldn't see any constellations I knew, is all."

"Would you like me to show you some of my favourites?"

Bruce nodded and Thor shifted closer, wrapping an arm around him and cuddling him close. He began gesturing at the sky, tracing outlines and shapes in the countless  dots. Bruce watched in fascination, but before long his gaze slipped to Thor's profile, eyes roaming freely over his boyfriend's face. God, he was beautiful. He used to never think he could love someone more than Betty, never even considered loving someone as much as he did Thor. The way his eyes sparkled and reflected the stars, the way the soft lighting made all the harsh edges of his jawline look gentle (even if Bruce had never minded the harshness), the way everything about him was just... gorgeous.

Thor stopped talking, and Bruce broke out of his trance. "Hm?"

"I said I have something far more important to show you, Bruce my love."

Bruce raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Was the sky not the most important part of tonight?"

"Not by a long shot. I'm afraid I'll have to blindfold you again. Is that okay?"

"Now I'm getting worried," Bruce joked, but there was a grain of truth in it as Thor picked up the black length of cloth and tied it round his eyes again. But this time he wasn't nervous or apprehensive, he was blissful, chilled out and just a little tipsy from the champagne. Thor took him by the arm and gently stood him up, and there was some scuffling as he stood there.

"Okay," Thor said after a minute or so, and if Bruce wasn't mistaken his tone was nervous. "You can take the blindfold off."

Bruce fumbled with the knot for a second, before pulling the blindfold away and immediately dropping it onto the violet ground.

Thor was down on one knee in front of him, nervous smile in place, with a little black box open in his hands. Inside the box glittered a ring, reflecting the light of thousands of stars above them, glowing ever so slightly of its own accord. If Bruce wasn't mistaken, tiny lightning bolts seemed to be darting about within the diamond in the centre, that being what radiated the glowing light.

"Robert Bruce Banner," Thor began, and Bruce put a hand out to stop him.

"Wait. I just need to process this."

Thor waited patiently as Bruce attempted to comprehend the sight before him, heart swelling with love before he nodded. "Okay. Go on."

"Robert Bruce Banner. You have made me happier than I could ever possibly imagine. You have been my rock, my love, my light in the dark. If you would do me the honour of remaining by my side for as long as we both shall live, offer me your hand in marriage, I would be... indescribably happy. And I of course will ask Hulk, too, but..." Thor seemed to run out of words for a second. "With you by my side, I would never need the stars, because I could see them all in your eyes whenever I wished. So, Bruce Banner. Will you marry me?"

Bruce didn't say anything, choked up with emotion, choosing instead to pull Thor into a deep kiss. When he pulled back, Thor was grinning.

"Can I take that as a yes?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

Slipping the ring onto Bruce's finger, he pulled him back into yet another kiss before both laughing and admiring the ring. Hulk grumbled in Bruce's head that he wanted a ring, and Bruce shushed him with the assurance that he would get proposed to just as romantically.

As though reading Bruce's thoughts, Thor spoke. "The ring will expand to accommodate Hulk's size, but I also wish to ask for his individual hand. As you are separate people."

"He'll love that," Bruce said genuinely. "Hey, you're gonna get two wedding ceremonies."

"And two wedding nights," Thor answered with a wink and a smirk. Bruce chose to ignore the implication in favour of looking at the ring again.

"This ring truly is gorgeous, Thor," he said admiringly. Now he could look closer, he saw that the diamond was indeed glowing with tiny flashes of lightning within it, surrounded on either side by an emerald and an amethyst.

"I hoped you'd like it," Thor replied, justifiably proud of himself. Without speaking, they both decided to lie back down and look up at the stars again, as a newly engaged couple. The stars glittered their approval, and somewhere up there Bruce could feel _his_ mother, watching them lovingly.

And he laughed at Thor's jokes, and squeezed his hand, and watched the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> gray making up asgardian culture to suit his own fic? its more likely than you think
> 
> comment before i peel off your eyelids and make them into soup


End file.
